PRINTER AND CARD LOADER FOR PRINTER

• US 20140071464A1
• Filed: 03/19/2012
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Evolis Co.
• Original Assignee: Evolis Co.
• Inventors: Berthaud, Emmanuel, Moreau, Ludovic
• Application Number:
  US14/009,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20140071464A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.6
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/06 for separation from bottom of pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/1117 pivotable, e.g. around an axis perpendicular to transport direction, e.g. arranged at rear side of sheet support
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/3321 Feed tray superposed to discharge tray
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/354 around an axis, e.g. horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2407/21 Manual feeding
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1914 Cards, e.g. telephone, credit and identity cards
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/063 separating from the bottom of pile B65H3/0615, B65H3/0623 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/26 Duplicate, alternate, selective, or coacting feeds
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/16 Means for paper feeding or form feeding

Abstract

A card loader is intended to be fixed to a printer (23), the loader comprising at least one loading device intended to receive at least one card to be printed, and at least one driving device (16; 19). Each driving device (16; 19) makes it possible to transfer cards to be printed from a loading device to the printer (23). At least one driving device (16; 19) is movable to enable the printer (23), or a said loading device, to use, in order to manipulate a card, a space that is occupied by said driving device(s) (16; 19) when said driving device(s) (16; 19) transfer(s) a card to be printed to the printer.

Claims

1. Card loader (27) intended to be fixed to a printer (23), said loader comprising at least one loading device (10;

11) intended to receive at least one card to be printed, and at least one driving device (16;

19), each driving device transferring cards to be printed from a loading device (10;

11) to said printer,

wherein at least one said driving device (16, 19) is movable to enable the printer (23) to use, for manipulating a card, a space that is occupied by said driving device or devices (16;

19) when said driving device(s) (16, 19) transfer(s) a card to be printed to the printer.

2. Card loader according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first loading device (10) intended to store a plurality of cards to be printed;

a second loading device (11) intended to receive, one by one, cards to be printed;

a first driving device (16) for transferring cards to be printed from the first loading device to said printer;

a second driving device (19) for transferring cards to be printed from the second loading device to said printer;

wherein that the first (16) and second (19) driving devices are movable to enable the printer (23), in order to manipulate a card during an operation performed by said printer, to use said spaces occupied by the first (16) and second (19) driving devices.

3. Card loader according to claim 2, wherein the first and second loading devices are substantially superimposed.

4. Card loader according to claim 2, characterised in that the first and second driving devices are rollers.

5. Card loader according to claim 4, wherein the first driving device (16) is a roller:

able to be positioned in a first position, in which the first driving device (16) is rotated in order to transfer a card to be printed from the first loading device (10) to the printer (23), and

able to be positioned in a second position, in which the first driving device (16) moves the printed cards (15), stored in the first loading device (10), away from a card transfer path.

6. Card loader according to claim 4, wherein the second driving device (19) is a roller associated with at least one other roller (18) and:

able to be positioned in a first position in which the second driving device (19) is rotated and is coupled to said other roller or rollers (18) in order to transfer a printed card from the second loading device (11) to said printer (23),

able to be positioned in a second position, in which the second driving device (19) is decoupled from said other roller or rollers (18).

7. Card loader according to claim 1, wherein it also comprises a receptacle device (12) intended to receive cards (25) printed by the printer, and in that the movable driving device or devices (16;

19) is or are movable to enable the printer (23) to transfer printed cards to the receptacle device (12) using said space occupied by said driving device or devices (16;

19) when said driving device or device(s) (16;

19) transfer(s) a card to be printed to the printer.

8. Card loader according to claim 7, wherein the receptacle device (12) is interposed on said loading device or devices (10;

11).

9. Printer (23) provided with a card loader according to claim 1.

10. Printer according to claim 9, wherein it comprises a card processing module adapted, when said module performs a processing operation on a card to be printed, to manipulate the card to be printed using a space that is occupied by at least one driving device (16;

19) of said card loader (27) when said driving device(s) (16;

19) transfer(s) a card to be printed to the printer.